Nutcracker



June 2, 1942;

W. E, PRICER INUTCRACKER Fil ed Feb. 15, 1941 W E. Prz'uer Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES OFFICE NUTCRACKER Willie Erwin Pricer, Galveston, '1"ex. Application February 13, 1941,. serial No. 378,804

A 2 Claims. 01. 146-16) This" invention relates to an improved nut cracker of-sirnple construction capable of being economically manufactured and sold and which may be operated with very little effort or forc on the art of the operator.

More particularly, it'is an aim of the invention to provide a nut cracker having a lever type operator for urging the jaws to a closed position and. which is of sufficient length to provide a ple leverage so that the l'aws can be closed with very little force applied to the free, handle end of the lever.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a nut cracker'of the above described-character wherein the jaws can be closed very gradually.

or slowly so that when the shell of a nut disposed between the jaws is cracked the closing movement of the lever can be stopped so that the nut will not be crushed between the jaws.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and

V wherein- Figure 1, and

Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged cross sectional views taken substantially along the planes of the lines 55 and 6B, respectively, of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

- wherein like reference characters designate like or correspondingparts throughout the different views, It! designates generally the improved nut cracker comprising the invention and which includes a base or supporting stand II. gated jaw I2 is disposed lengthwise of the base I I and extends beyond the forward end thereof and is secured thereto by means of bolts or other threaded fastenings I3 which extend downwardly through the parts Hand I2. The heads of the bolts I3 are countersunk in the upper face It of the jaw I2. A U-shaped bracket I5 has its intermediate portion countersunk in the face I I, adjacent the rear end ,of the jaw I2, and said intermediate portion is engaged by one of the An elonfastenings I3, aslbest seen in Figure 5, for con;

necting the bracketlIS to the jaw I2. I

A movable jaw I6 is disposed above the jaw I2 and'substantially co-extensive therewith and has a portion thereof extending through and disposed between the'hpset legs I! of the bracket I5. The legs IT are provided with alined'apertures I3 and the jaw I6 isprovided with a trans- Verse bore I9 which registers with the apertures IB for receiving the shank of .the bolt of a nut and bolt fastening 20 by means of which the jaw I6 is pivotally connected'to the jaw I2 adjacent the rear ends of the jaws. The upperside of the jaw IB'is inclined downwardly from the point 2|, adjacent its forward end, to its rear end, fOr a purpose which willhereinafter become apparent, and theupper engaging face I4 of the jaw I2 is inclined downwardly beyond the bracket I5 toward itsrear end to form the inclined surface 22. The under side of the rear end of the jaw I2 is notched at 23 to engage a portion of an'ela'stic band 24 which engages over the tapered rear end of the j w I6, for urging saidend downwardly and for causing the opposite end of the jaw I6 to be moved upwardly to an open position, as seen in Figure 2. The jaw I2 is provided with the inclined surface 22 to accommodate the rear end of the jaw I6 when said jaw is in an open position.

The jaw I5 is provided with an engaging face 25 disposed in opposed relationship to the face I4. The faces I4 and25 and the sides of the jaws I2 and It, adjacent their forwardends, are recessed at 26 to receive inserts 21 which are countersunk therein and which are of corresponding shape and construction. The inserts 21 are preferably formed of a hardened metal and are secured to the jaws I2 and I6 by fastenings 28 which engage the flanges 29 thereof, as best seen in Figure 6. Said inserts 21 are provided with opposed cup shaped recesses 30 which are 7 adapted to receive the end of a nut, not shown,

which is disposed between the forward ends of the jaws I2 and I6.

A rod 3|, as best seen in Figures 3 and 4, is provided with corresponding ends 32 which are disposed at right angles to its intermediate portion and which extend in the same direction. One of the ends 32 is journaled in the jaw I2, adjacent its forward end, and the other end 32 is journaled in a lever 33 adjacent one end thereof. Said end of the lever 33 is enlarged and provided with a curved surface 34 which is eccentrically disposed relatively to the transverse bore 35 in which said last mentioned end 32 is jour naled. An elongated link 36 engages the ends 32, adjacent their extremities, and the extremities of the ends132 are provided with heads 3! to prevent detachment of the link 36 which in turn prevents detachment of the ends 32 from the law l2 and lever 33. The upper surface of the jaw l6 slopes downwardly from the point H to its forward end to form a cam surface 38 which is adapted tobe engaged by the eccentric surface 34. The lever 33 tapers towards its opposite, free end which is curved to form a handle portion 39.

Assuming the handle end 39 of the lever 33 to be in a raised position, the elastic member 24 will hold the jaw l6 elevated, as seen in Figure 2, to retain the lever 33 in substantially an up-- right position. With the jaws thus disposed, a nut to be cracked may be readily inserted between the, forward ends of the jaws and the ends of the nut positioned in the recesses 30. The handle 39is then swung downwardly and rearwardly relatively to the jaws l2 and Hi to cause the surface 34 to ride over the cam surface 38 for forcing the forward end of the jaw I6 to swing downwardly on its pivot 20. When the jaws are in a fully closed position, the lever 33 will be disposed above and adjacent the jaw I6 with its handle end 39 extending substantially beyond the rear end thereof. Due to the fact that the lever 33'engages the jaw l6 adjacent its forward end and reniote'to its fulcrum point substantial leverage will be thereby afforded by the jaw I6 and as the lever 33 is of a substantial length and pivoted at one end thereof very little force will be necessary to move the free end 39 of the lever 33 due to the leverage afforded thereby. Consequently, the combined leverage afforded by the jaw l6 and the lever 33 will permit the nut cracker I!) to be operated with very little force exerted on the end 39 so that the movable jaw l6 can be swung toward the stationary jaw [2 with a slow, steady movement and-consequently when the nut, which is disposed between the jaws is cracked the movement of the lever can be stopped to prevent the jaws from fully closing and crushing the nut. It will be obvious that the rod 3| pivotally mounts the lever 33 and also swingably mounts said lever relatively to the stationary jaw l2 so that it is capable of two swinging movements relatively to the jaws.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A nut cracker comprising an elongated stationary jaw having an upwardly projecting U- shaped bracket adjacent one end thereof, a movable jaw arranged co-extensively therewith and having a portion thereof disposed between the upset legs of the bracket and pivotally connected thereto, a link pivotally connected to the stationary jaw adjacent the end thereof, remote to the bracket, and in which the complementary end of the movable jaw is loosely disposed, a lever pivotally connected at one of its ends to said link, and said lever being provided with a cam portion disposed eccentrically to its pivot for engaging and moving the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw.

2. A nut cracker comprising an elongated stationary jaw, a movable jaw disposed thereabove and arranged substantially coextensively therewith, said jaws being pivotally connected adjacent corresponding ends thereof, a link pivotally connected to the stationary jaw, adjacent its opposite end and in which the complementary, opposite end of the movable jaw is loosely disposed, and a lever pivotally connected, adjacent one of its ends, to the link, and provided with an eccentric portion for engaging the upper side of the last mentioned end of the movable jaw, for swinging said movable jaw end toward the complementary end of the fixed jaw, when the lever is swung in one direction, said lever having two independent swinging movements relatively to the jaws.

WILLIE E. PRICER. 

